Safe at Sea: Safety checks for paddle boats
Last week’s column addressed the top 10 reasons to have a Vessel Safety Check or VSC, ranging from assuring the boat owner that his vessel complies with state and federal Marine Safety Requirements to connecting a boat owner to someone able to provide additional boating information.
Conducted by a trained and certified inspector, a 30-minute VSC provides boat owners with assurance that their vessel is fully equipped with readily available safety equipment, and that the equipment is serviceable and ready for use.
Most people don’t realize that paddle boats — think kayaks and such — should also be inspected for safety. Yes! The “vessel” in Vessel Safety Check includes paddle boats.
Briefer than a VSC for an engine-powered boat, this safety check focuses heavily on the equipment the paddler brings on board. For example, the inspector looks for:
– Life jackets (serviceable?)
– Sound-producing mechanism (whistle, for example)
– Signaling device (A mirror will suffice.)
– First aid fit
A VSC examiner will also take note of the Hull Identification Number or HIN and the make and model, as well as the color, of the craft. If there is any rigging, such as steering cables, those will be examined for functionality.
If completed by the America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva, at the conclusion of the VSC the paddle boat owner is provided with three things:
– Reflector stickers for each paddle
Several years ago, the S.E.R.A.T. team — the organization’s emergency assistance team — conducted a night drill in which a kayaker sought assistance: he was “lost” back in Tarpon Bay. The members found it practically impossible to locate him because their search lights could not easily spot him in the dark. The result: VSC inspectors now provide every paddle boat owner with reflective stickers to be attached to their paddles. If this is the only reason a paddle boat owner has a VSC, that’s almost good enough!
– ID decal
This simple decal, when completed in indelible ink, provides the owner’s name and phone number. The decals are used when the vessel is located abandoned with no one around. The decal will save hours of the U.S. Coast Guard trying to search and rescue someone who is not lost overboard.
– Vessel Safety Check sticker
This decal will verify that an annual safety inspection was successfully conducted. The USCG is always eager to see these on display.
If you would like to have a free VSC completed on your vessel, email vsc@sanibelcaptivasps.org.
The America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva has a team of vessel examiners who will perform it at your vessel at a time of mutual convenience. There are no consequences if you don’t pass. Our goal is simply to help make boating as safe as possible for you, your family and your friends.
Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and its courses, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact education@sanibelcaptivasps.org or 612-987-2125.